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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRC minutes 102417Orange County Human Relations Commission Minutes Tuesday, October 24, 2017 6:00 pm -7:30 pm Orange County Animal Services Conference Room 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill NC MEMBERS PRESENT STAFF Matt Case Sherrill Hampton, Director Ana Garcia - Turner Tara May, Civil Rights Specialist Sue Kinzer Debby Stroman Nancy White MEMBERS ABSENT Elizabeth O'Quinn April Chan excused Nora Spencer (excused) Daniel Ryan Marc Xavier (excused) Joy Preslar Scott Goldsmith (excused) Jessica Aguilar Jackie Podger (excused) GUESTS L Call to Order A. The meeting began at 6:1 Opm. A quorum was not present. IL Introductions A. Staff, new members, and previous members all introduced themselves and gave a bit of information on their background During her introduction, Dr. Debby Stroman mentioned some of her concerns and frustrations with her experience on the Human Relations Commission (HRC) so far. a. Ms. Sherrill Hampton addressed some of Dr. Stroman's comments. She encouraged members to familiarize themselves with the structure of the advisory board and be creative about the ways they can make an impact within that structure. She stated that the HRC does not have the ability to make statements separate from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and has to abide by the processes they have put in place for their advisory boards to follow. She explained that sometimes the procedure for getting items on the BOCC's agenda is lengthy and for some decisions the BOCC may have to consult with the legal department or others about items or suggestions from their advisory boards. She also explained that there are competing priorities on the BOCC itself and that they represent ALL residents of Orange County and must acknowledge the various thoughts and opinions amongst them. She stated that while the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance (Ordinance) is geared toward housing discrimination, the HRC has the ability to address a variety of social justice issues through its community engagement initiatives, events, and conversations. She further stated that the Chair of the Commission can have a conversation with the BOCC and that individual members can write the BOCC if there is a topic particularly important to them. She ensured all members that the staff is willing and able to assist in any way possible. i. Ms. Tara May also noted that the policies and procedures for the County as well as the HRC are within the packets that were given to each member 2. Ms. May introduced the packets each member was given and went through the contents. III. Minutes Approval — September 11, 2017 A. Moved to November 13, 2017 meeting because a quorum was not present. IV. HHRCD /County Updates A. Ms. Hampton discussed the work of the Housing, Human Rights, and Community Development Department ( HHRCD). 1. She stated that the work of the Human Rights division falls within the interest of the HRC. Ms. Sue Kinzer asked for clarification on the difference between Human Rights and the Human Relations Commission. Ms. Hampton continued, and clarified that Human Rights is a division within the larger County department while the HRC is an advisory board to the BOCC. She also indicated that the HRC is not a separate entity and therefore is subject to the policies and procedures in place for County advisory boards. Ms. Hampton stated that the administrative functions for the HRC are handled by the department's staff, particularly Ms. May. She stated that the Human Rights division of the department enforces the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance as it relates to fair housing and also works with HUD. She stated that as administrative support, staff can take recommendations made by the board back to the BOCC. 2. Ms. Hampton also discussed the Housing portion of the department and explained that the Housing Authority has a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) and touched on the differences between a voucher program and public housing. She indicated that the vouchers are handled by Orange County while public housing is handled by Chapel Hill. She explained that public housing utilizes and manages actual housing units, while a Housing Choice Voucher is given to an eligible individual and they are responsible for finding their own dwelling within a certain time frame. She stated that it is a challenge in Orange 2 County to find landlords who are willing to rent to people with a voucher and then to find a place that is affordable. Ms. Hampton indicated that there are housing quality standards for both public housing units and for section 8 units. She described the challenge with keeping public housing units updated as federal funds for capital improvements decline each year. She also explained that a unit must be inspected prior to being utilized in the Voucher Program. 3. Mr. Case asked about the commission's role in investigating housing discrimination complaints. a. Ms. May discussed the options for a complaint including conciliation, a Cause Determination, and a No Cause Determination. She continued stating that if the parties do not conciliate a complaint, staff determines if there is sufficient evidence to indicate that discrimination occurred. If yes, a Reasonable Cause Determination is issued to both parties indicating how that conclusion was reached. If no, a No Reasonable Cause Determination is issued to both parties indicating how that conclusion was reached. For the latter, the Complainant can ask the Director to reconsider the determination and a panel of three commission members will hear the complaint and will either uphold or overturn the Determination. For a Reasonable Cause Determination, there is a final meeting with all parties to attempt to conciliate. If no agreement is met, the case would go to the state's Office of Administrative Hearings or either party can elect to have it heard in Orange County Civil Court. Ms. May stated that to her knowledge, the HRC has not had to hear any cases, but that it is certainly important for all members to receive the appropriate training since the Ordinance requires that from the board. 4. Ms. Hampton directed the board's attention to the Civil Rights Ordinance and the language within it that describes the role of the HRC. Ms. Hampton mentioned that the HHRCD Department has been in a long period of transition and that she is working on some programmatic enhancements to build on the work done before her. She mentioned one section of the Ordinance that calls the HRC to monitor complaints of discrimination and stated that in order to monitor, they will need to be aware of what's going on. She stated that staff would begin to give regular updates that still respect confidentiality of the parties in order to allow the monitoring to occur. Ms. Hampton also mentioned that the department is looking to ensure that there is an appropriate number of staff for the workload and is working on providing target outreach to residents. Ms. Hampton also stated that staff would finalize a flow chart of the complaint process for the next meeting. B. After skipping back up for introductions, Ms. Hampton began discussing some County and departmental updates 1. Ms. Hampton turned the attention to the Annual Report and Work Plan for the HRC, due December 15, 2017 and stated that they would be presented to the BOCC during a work session in the spring. She explained that each advisory board is required to do the plans annually and that the HRC is one of three advisory boards staffed by the HHRCD Department, with the others being the Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB). She announced her plan to have all three boards come 3 together for an annual meeting to discuss the work being done on each board and plan opportunities for collaboration when appropriate. She stated that affordable housing has been the focus of the County recently, but that having access to decent, safe, and affordable housing cut across many aspects of life. 2. Ms. Hampton announced that OCHA implemented a preference for homelessness on the HCVP waiting list. She stated that homelessness was not previously counted as a preference explicitly, as the Administrative Plan only discussed individuals who were in transitional housing programs. 3. Ms. Hampton told the board that staff and elected officials from the municipalities and the County formed the HOME Program Review Committee, which worked on evaluating funding applications and the annual HOME Program plan. She stated than a resolution was passed on October 3, 2017 that expanded the role of the committee, allowing broader discussions about, as well as seek, collaborative solutions to affordable housing issues in the County. Given the role expansion of the committee, the Resolution also changed the name to the "Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative" (the Collaborative). Ms. Hampton explained that the expansion also serves as a response to the Affordable Housing Bond discussions related to intergovernmental collaboration from 2016. On another note, Ms. Hampton also stated that there will be an upcoming Assemblies of Governments meeting. 4. Ms. Hampton also announced that the HHRCD Department is working on drop -in sessions for the residents on the Housing Choice Voucher program in order for them to learn more about the program's opportunities for home - ownership and to make contact with the Advisory Boards, who will also be invited to the sessions. 5. Ms. Hampton stated that she wants input from HRC members on the outreach materials used for Human Rights and for them to be aware of any outreach events coming up, as well as suggest any opportunities for outreach they believe is important to attend. a. Dr. Stroman asked if the Human Relations Commission had a brochure discussing the work of the board, and Ms. May stated that at the current time, the only brochures and other materials utilized by the department discussed fair housing, but that it could be developed for the future. V. Resignations, Re- appointments, New Members, and Officers A. Dr. Stroman encouraged the new members to invite their family, friends, and colleagues to apply for the board since there are vacancies. B. Ms. May agreed to verify the number of vacancies and the number of seats for the board. C. Dr. Stroman stated that an election for Chair would need to take place. 1. Ms. May stated that staff suggests the HRC form an elections committee in order to nominate and vote on a new Chair, which could be discussed in more detail during the November meeting. D. Dr. Stroman stated that the HRC can be whatever members make it and that new members and leadership is an opportunity for growth. VI. Annual Report and Work Plan A. Due December 15, 2017 VII. HRC Forum and Pauli Murray Awards A. HRC Forum M Ms. May stated that the forum usually takes place in January, is coordinated by a planning committee from the HRC, and includes a theme and a panel of speakers relevant to the theme. She also stated that there was discussion during the September meeting for the theme to revolve around the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial, but that there was room for other suggestions as well. She continued, stating that the Carrboro Century Center was reserved for Sunday, January 21, 2018, but that the event was held at the Whitted Building for 2017. a. Dr. Stroman expressed that the Whitted Building was a great venue previously and that there is more parking at that location than there is in Carrboro. b. Additional discussion ensued about the space, and Dr. Stroman stated that there is a UNC vs. Duke Women's basketball game in Chapel Hill on that date. Ms. Hampton expressed concern about traffic and parking as well as general attendance due to the competing event. C. Ms. May stated that the event had "historically" been held on the last Sunday of January, so the date could be pushed to January 28, 2018. Dr. Stroman requested that staff check the availability of the space at Whitted for that day. 2. Ms. May also called on members to begin thinking about if they would like to serve on the planning committee for the event. B. Pauli Murray Awards 1. Ms. May stated that the Awards are typically held in February although 2017's took place in March. She stated that there was also discussion about the theme relating to the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial a. Dr. Stroman confirmed that the board voted and approved that theme in September. 2. Ms. May continued, stating that there is usually an essay (or other) contest for students in Orange County schools to participate, with a topic that is related to the theme. She mentioned Ms. Hampton's prompt suggestion from September, which was "how to be a modern -day abolitionist ". a. Ms. Hampton suggested that the HRC work hard to have the event in February given that it is Black History Month. 3. Dr. Stroman explained a bit about the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial, and stated that a number of people in the County are looking to celebrate the occasion. She stated that the County and municipalities are purchasing 1,000 copies of a special edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and the HRC was approached to play a part. She further explained that the theme was not adopted for the HRC Forum in January because members felt there may be some other triggering event that may pre -empt that topic. 4. Ms. Hampton called on staff to prepare information on Dr. Pauli Murray to share with the HRC. 5. Ms. May stated that the event is actually an awards ceremony and that a youth, an individual, and a business are each nominated for embodying the qualities of Pauli Murray. Ms. May stated that the planning committee for the awards and that there are specific instructions for the committee to score essays and take nominations. VIII. IX. 6. Ms. Hampton stated that the County Manager had some suggestions about the event that she would bring back for the next meeting. She also stated that having music is a great form of entertainment for the event and mentioned a resident from Hillsborough named Anna Jean Mayhew who wrote The Dry Grass of August. She stated that a group from Ms. Mayhew's church took the songs from the book which were related to Freedom Songs and put on a concert. Ms. Hampton stated that having music that reflects the diversity of Orange County at the event would be important. a. Dr. Stroman stated that previous events have included music, spoken word, and food, and have been enjoyable to attend. 7. Dr. Stroman stated that the planning committees for the event could be developed for the November meeting. Subcommittee Updates A. Dr. Stroman proposed that the board revisit the subject of subcommittees at the next meeting and stated that members would need to review the existing committees and add, delete, or revise any as necessary. 1. Executive Committee 2. Diversity Matters 3. Community Relations 4. Community Justice Other Business /Announcements/Upcoming Events A. Ms. Sue Kinzer requested an organizational structure chart beginning with the BOCC and going down to Advisory Boards. B. Ms. Nancy White mentioned that she would like to see the HRC work with law enforcement agencies to broaden their understanding of the diverse community of Orange County. She also expressed her desire for the HRC to play an advocacy role for marginalized populations in the County. C. Ms. Ana Garcia - Turner stated she is looking forward to being on the board and seconded the comments from Ms. Kinzer and Ms. White. D. Dr. Stroman mentioned the book given out at the beginning of the meeting How Does It Feel to be a Problem? by Mouastafa Bayou mi. She explained that the book was chosen as part of UNC's summer reading program and that the HRC had planned to participate and expand the Orange County residents to also read the book. However, that plan did not come together so the HRC members voted that they would read the book before Thanksgiving and have a conversation about the book and how the Commission can better serve Muslim and Arab residents of the County. E. Ms. Hampton stated that the County pledged $1,000 with the support of Commissioner Price for the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial books Dr. Stroman mentioned previously. She stated a kick -off event for the Bicentennial is taking place on December 6, 2017 and that more information about the activities would be distributed to the board. F. Ms. Hampton mentioned another event idea and stated that in another community she worked in, there was a simulation of what poverty felt like. She suggested that the HRC work to create a "fun" simulation of what the community is like in Orange County with the help of drama departments, young people, and others and put on a production for the community and invite law enforcement agencies among others. D G. Dr. Stroman stated that she also would share information about a Community Policing event coming up. X. Adjourn A. The meeting was adjourned at 7:38pm. B. NEXT MEETING: November 13, 2017 6:00pm at Animal Services 7